The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Campus Auxiliary Services is offering new compost to-go trays, reusable containers and bottles to promote environmental sustainability on campus and also implementing healthier food options for students.
This fall, the university introduced compost to-go trays on both campuses that are free of plastic and “easy on the environment,” said Robert Cantu, executive director of Auxiliary Business Services.
Another effort that the university took toward sustainability was ending the use of large plastic serving trays in the Dining Hall.
“A few years ago we eliminated trays,” Cantu said. “Since it was all you can eat, people would over-serve, causing thousands and thousands of pounds of wasted food. Not only did we reduce the food waste but we also reduced the water consumption that it took to wash those trays.”
Susie Gonzales, a registered dietitian/marketing coordinator for Sodexo, said the company also wants to eliminate the use of Styrofoam plates.
“So, if students can keep that in mind and be mindful and request to have their food in a tray, that way they can dine in at the location,” Gonzales said.
Residents who have a meal plan at the university can purchase to-go meals in reusable containers on the Edinburg campus for their hot meals. After students are done with the containers, they can return them to the Dining Hall, where they are washed and available for the next use.
“Eat, return and repeat,” Cantu said is the motto for the program’s reusable containers, a system that was implemented last fall.
In addition to these eco-friendly efforts, Gonzales said Sodexo plans to implement the use of paper straws by the end of the semester.
Reusable bottles are being sold at the C-Store in Edinburg and The Grid in Brownsville. With these bottles, students can purchase refills at the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines on campus.
Asked how these changes will benefit the university, Cantu responded, “I think that these are incremental steps … and I think that as we take these steps semester after semester, we are making a difference.”
Chief Sustainability Officer Marianela Franklin said, “It’s about having a positive impact on the environment, on society and the economy all at the same time.”
The university, along with Sodexo, is making an effort to become socially responsible in using compostable products and eco-friendly alternatives, but also in offering healthy options for students, faculty and staff on campus, Cantu said.
“Let’s face it, the Rio Grande Valley, we have an epidemic of obesity, high blood pressure, and all those other things that come with unhealthy eating habits,” he said. “Sodexo is trying to do their very best to have good offerings.”
Since Spring 2017, the Dining Hall in Edinburg has offered plant-based eating options for students, which include new Middle Eastern flavors on their menu, Cantu said.
Sodexo has noticed that students tend to go for options that are low in calories and is investigating how it can implement meal preps for individuals who want a week’s worth of meals.
The company also provides mindful offerings, which include half a sandwich served with cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes and a handful of pretzels. “It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s only 500 calories,” Cantu said.
The university and Sodexo are aware that students are evolved consumers who are loyal to brands and products that they’re comfortable with.
Cantu said Sodexo’s responsibility is to provide students with the products that they need to succeed, such as a simple cup of coffee.
“It’s really more about providing the best experience for our students while they’re on campus and retaining these students and making them want to come back. … That’s really important to us,” he said.
This semester, Auxiliary Services put into service a food cart on the Edinburg campus called Snack and Go. It is a golf cart that drives around campus and offers students snacks, breakfast and lunch options. Its primary location is at the Visitors Center.
Campus Auxiliary Services also remodeled the Chick-fil-A on the Edinburg campus this summer, as required every five years, according to its contract with the fast-food chain.
Cantu said the “refresh” was completed over a three-week period and was kept under budget.
New to UTRGV is its partnership with Grubhub, which purchased Tapingo. Grubhub offers students prepaid retail menu options through its app and eliminates the wait time for students in line by having their meals ready for them when they get to the restaurant. The second part of this project is to eventually carry out deliveries through the app.
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